33 day countdown! Time to stick?

[ejinbc]

Opinion Here. YMMV. IMHO.

I think it is pretty clear that the current software remuneration model is not sustainable for mature applications. Programs such as MS Office, Adobe, and Pro Tools are all very mature products – while Moore’s Law may predict infinite exponential growth, there is a limit as to what your DAW / Spreadsheet / Word Processor needs to do. Currently, updates appear to be for operating system compatibility (more below), final (final) (final) bug stomping, and introduction of highly niche features that many/most users simply will not see significant value in. Subscription models are here to stay (for now) and most software companies (with shareholders) MUST move to Software-As-Service models. Let’s face it, Pro Tools is mature after a gazillion years of development - though there are arguably features that remain to be implemented.

So, freezing really means, “How long do you believe that you can do without hardware upgrades, that require operating system upgrades, that requires a Pro Tools upgrade”. After watching this forum for a few years I would say for Macs you can freeze for about a week (kidding, but not by much), if you work on a Windows 10 platform you are probably OK for a lot longer. Currently, I think I could have frozen on PT 10.3 and still be OK with Win 10 and current hardware (MOTU 1248) – though I personally found significant added value in 64bit, non-real time bounce, and track freezing (happy to pay). Folders not so much yet.

I am very interested to see if Avid can roll out another feature that has high general appeal so that perpetual licence maintenance makes sense. YMMV.

ejinbc

[Stephen Bond]

Originally Posted by ejinbc

I am very interested to see if Avid can roll out another feature that has high general appeal so that perpetual licence maintenance makes sense.

Yeah me too! I think they have had enough years to prove themselves and on balance £200 a year isn't worth the annual tax. I still have a few more sleeps to consider but as much as I love Pro Tools I have grown to hate it too

Anyhow, I just spent more than my annual tax money on Softube Volume 4. It isn't really about the money but rather value for money! Avid are very low in that department and I begrudge the heavy arm twisting to adopt the subscription or decist.

Stephen

[EGS]

200/yr is too much. If it were 100, I'd probably renew. Mine will lapse next week, so I'll vote with my wallet & run 2020.5 for the foreseeable future.

[Tao Jones]

I feel the same way about Pro Tools. As much as I love it. I hate it at the same. I've grown used to its limited midi functions and lack of "features" other DAWs have. The lack of "features" was what kept me on Pro Tools. The other DAWs just had too much to keep track of.
I protested when Avid started charging $100 a year for license renewal. I didn't like it but it was doable. Not reasonable but I could afford it for something I love... but it did exacerbate the then current dissatisfaction with Avid. I started looking at other DAWs but just couldn't wrap my head around them. I actually made a song in Logic and mixed it. I liked the possibility of Logic but the program just didn't make sense to me like Pro Tools.

When they raised license renewal to $200 a year.... well I'm not gonna get into my feelings about it. I'm working on Studio One 5 right now and I am absolutely loving it. There are somethings I definitely miss from Pro Tools. I doubt I'll renew. If this business model is working for Avid... that's great. It's just not working for me.

[Daveporter33765]

I am also at the end of my willingness to renew when the cost is $200 a year and there is very little, or nothing, gained during the subscription period. I had all but moved to Logic Pro a couple years back anyway and am now beginning to explore Luna. I will keep my perpetual PT license but I will not be renewing the support and upgrade subscription again.

[Rectifried]

PT since 20th century.. it WAS 200 then they brokeit up to support/ update so u could do 100 update... I yelled to do the same for HD as I had both lic.. dumped the HD lic and did a couple years at 100.. Its still SO creaky with moving too fast and -9xxx errors then quit
I like the layout.. BUT theres something still Waaaay f'd about the plugin resources.. simplest stuff
PT Is a company that to make more money, insted of getting more ppl on board they Just screw the ones that are loyal.. thereby Shrinking the pool of users.. it would be great to have this private club thing like before.. IF the stuff worked, Like before



64 ram ssd 12 core 2018mac

[maccattack]

Ive been in since version 7 and I've just about had enough. Sick of the bugs and paying for them to fix what should never be broken in the first place. I too am due again in December but I'm not going in again. They've had their chance/s.

They dont give enough to justify the price.

I wonder what cars they drive?

[stewie3128]

I work in audio post, otherwise I'd move to Reaper/Logic. I use both of them for my own projects anyways, because both are simply more modern DAWs. But the post world is monolithically PT, so PT remains my primary DAW.

[Stephen Bond]

4 days left to go! Thanks for the input everyone.

I'm wondering if there is anything else pertinent to the debate or anyone who can persuade me I need to give Avid another £200 for another year of updates?

Stephen

[JFreak]

Anything else would be your 30-day grace period in which time you can reconsider